The jumping off discussion area for the rest of the Deck. All things Lakewood. Please check out our other sections. As we refile many discussions from the past into their proper sections please check them out and offer suggestions.

There will be no cheap new development condos and apartments, they are being built for profit and not socialist housing. However, there are single family homes reasonably priced that are reasonably priced in Lakewood but in my opinion, this is not the issue. The issues are:

1. City has one of the highest property tax rates in northern Ohio2. Nonexistent health care and emergency facilities for a city of 55,0003. A mediocre public-school system, they spend money on bricks and salary’s instead of students’education. Why would a family move into a city and pay high property taxes, then have to send their children to parochial schools so they can get a decent education?4. Crime rate, you have a chance of 1 in 39 being involved in a crime and 82 percent of the cities in Ohio are safer to live in than Lakewood. A mayor in denial who’s blaming the reporting methods and an inert and inept police chief, that must be busy commuting to and from his home in another city5. Is one of or the highest densely populated cities in the United States. The city’s hair brain development strategy to make it denser with apartment and condos and no requirements for green space or parking is asinine6. Lack of retail shopping center, you have to leave the city to shop. However, the bar and restaurant businesses are booming7. Water and sewage rates, are high and will get higher with a failing sewage infrastructure8. Erosion of single-family residential areas with high density developments and commercial expansion9. Many streets are in need of resurfacing10. Vacant storefronts11. City of Lakewood is located in Cuyahoga County12. City of Lakewood has a dysfunctional city council and mayor who have hidden agendas and closed-door policy. The city is also managed by inept and inert appointed department heads.

It’s important to a lot of people that the City of Lakewood be controlled by a Mayor and Council that has a regional outlook.

When news first broke that Lakewood Hospital would be moved to Avon our finance director stated that it didn’t matter because the region wouldn’t lose anything. I found that odd. Nobody at County government is pushing Westlake to get the regional spirit and share the wealth. Nobody at County government is pushing Parma to close its hospital and move it to Medina.

I am not aware of any public official in any city in Cuyahoga County that believes that losing a major employer to Lorain or Medina County is no big deal because the region won’t lose anything.

We can’t get back the Hospital.

We can’t get back the $70 million or so in cash that was transferred to private foundations.

We can’t get back 1,500 high paying medical jobs.

We can’t get back $2 million per year in rent and income tax revenue.

We can’t get back land and real estate sold for pennies on the dollar.

We CAN get back City Hall and restore honest government.

This election will give the people of Lakewood an opportunity to elect a clean slate. It’s important to a lot of people that we fail.

Anybody reading this thinking that the townhouses to be built on the demolished hospital site will be affordable to anyone other than the affluent?

Here we have public assets (a hospital), public real estate, and public funds being used to subsidize upscale housing that no ordinary family can ever afford.

Folks, this isn't an accident, it's long-term policy execution.

Last night the city council vote was unanimous in support of the project.

Those who will never be able to afford the new housing in Lakewood shoulder their tax and rate burden while watching public wealth transfers to developers and their affluent customers and then, get this, at the same time watch the public healthcare safety net get demolished.

Anybody reading this thinking that the townhouses to be built on the demolished hospital site will be affordable to anyone other than the affluent?

Here we have public assets (a hospital), public real estate, and public funds being used to subsidize upscale housing that no ordinary family can ever afford.

Folks, this isn't an accident, it's long-term policy execution.

Last night the city council vote was unanimous in support of the project.

Those who will never be able to afford the new housing in Lakewood shoulder their higher tax and higher rate burden while watching public wealth transfers to developers and their affluent customers and then, get this, at the same time watch the public healthcare safety net get demolished.